All students experience academic pressure from parents and family, but thankfully I was not one of these students. Some students sacrificed so much, like not being able to participate in sports and after-school activities just to maintain a 4.0 GPA so their transcripts will be seen by the desired university. My parents never placed this kind of pressure on me but they always told me to try to understand the subjects. That was the most important thing – coming here and studying in a medical school where your grades have a huge significance as well as your understanding of the ideas. I expected it to be difficult and have a lot of material for us to memorize and understand but one thing I had not expected was the importance of having an organized schedule and balanced lifestyle. It is super important to be organized as this will allow you to not be behind in your studies, and this is especially important in medical school because the pace is fast. Having a balanced lifestyle is probably the number one most important thing because being able to do the things you enjoy, and spend time with loved ones will keep you happy and healthy mentally. I did not expect it to be so hard to balance my life, I want to exercise, eat, and go out, yet I cannot because of my studies. I cannot do the things I enjoy because I am not organized well enough yet. However, this is changing because I have learned to deal with the workload as well, sometimes knowing when to relax and not study. We will be doctors, not robots. How can I instruct and help others be healthy humans if I am not one myself? There were definitely a lot more challenges and struggles, but there were also pleasant and joyful moments. One of the most joyful moments was getting to know my peers, they are all very interesting individuals, and going through the common struggle of being at medical school was enjoyable because we could relate so much. Constantly helping and learning together has strengthened our relationship and I would even add that because of the relationships we formed, this is what is keeping us coming back every morning, every day, and dealing with the difficulties that come with being a medical student. One big piece of advice for first-year medical students is to get close and develop good relationships with your peers and teachers, for they will be with you until the end and they will understand you the most.

 Khurshid Umarov,

international student of Higher School of Medicine,

Al-Farabi Kazakh National University